We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula HaTr 4, one of few known to contain a post-common-envelope central star system. Common envelope evolution is believed to play an important role in the shaping of planetary nebulae, but the exact nature of this role is yet to be understood. High spatial- and spectral- resolution spectroscopy of the [OIII]5007 nebular line obtained with VLT-UVES are presented alongside deep narrowband Ha+[NII]6584 imagery obtained using EMMI-NTT, and together the two are used to derive the three-dimensional morphology of HaTr 4. The nebula is found to display an extended ovoid morphology with an enhanced equatorial region consistent with a toroidal waist - a feature believed to be typical amongst planetary nebulae with post-common-envelope central stars. The nebular symmetry axis is found to lie perpendicular to the orbital plane of the central binary, concordant with the idea that the formation and evolution of HaTr 4 has been strongly influenced by its central binary.
We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis of the planetary nebula HaTr 4, one of few known to contain a post-Common-Envelope central star system. Based on high spatial and spectral resolution spectroscopy of the [OIII]5004.84 angstrom nebular emission line, in combination with deep, narrow-band imagery, a spatio-kinematical model was developed in order to accurately determine the three-dimensional morphology and orientation of HaTr 4. The nebula is found to display an extended ovoid morphology with an equatorial enhancement consistent with a toroidal waist - a feature believed …
We find the central stars of the planetary nebulae (PNe) HaTr 7 and ESO 330-9 to be close binary systems. Both have orbital periods of less than half a day and contain an irradiated cool companion to the hot central star. We provide light curves, spectra, radial velocity curves, orbital periods, and binary modeling results for both systems. The binary modeling leads to system parameters, or ranges of allowed parameters for each system. We find that for the CS of HaTr 7 we need to use limb-darkening values for the cool companion that are different than the expected values for an isolated star. …
The question of what physical mechanisms shape planetary nebulae into their observed morphologies remains open. However, intensified efforts since the last meeting in this series, Asymmetrical Planetary Nebulae IV, in July 2007 have yielded some excellent results. In this review we concentrate on those developments that have taken place in the last three years, with emphasis on results obtained since the review by De Marco (2009).
We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula Shapley 1 (Sp 1), which is known to contain a close-binary central star system. Close-binary central stars have been identified as a likely source of shaping in planetary nebulae, but with little observational support to date. Deep narrowband imaging in the light of [O III] λ5007A suggests the presence of a large bow-shock to the west of the nebula, indicating that it is undergoing the first stages of an interaction with the interstellar medium. Further narrowband imaging in the light of Hα+[NII] λ6…
There is no quantitative theory to explain why a high 80% of all planetary nebulae are non-spherical. The Binary Hypothesis states that a companion to the progenitor of a central star of planetary nebula is required to shape the nebula and even for a planetary nebula to be formed at all. A way to test this hypothesis is to estimate the binary fraction of central stars of planetary nebulae and to compare it with that of the main sequence population. Preliminary results from photometric variability and the infrared excess techniques indicate that the binary fraction of central stars of planetary…
A current issue in the study of planetary nebulae with close binary central stars is the extent to which the binaries affect the shaping of the nebulae. Recent studies have begun to show a high coincidence rate between nebulae with large-scale axial or point symmetries and close binary stars. In addition, combined binary-star and spatio-kinematic modeling of the nebulae have demonstrated that all of the systems studied to date appear to have their central binary axis aligned with the primary axis of the nebula. Here we add two more systems to the list, the central stars and nebulae of NGC 6337…
We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula Abell~41, which is known to contain the well-studied close-binary system MT Ser. This object represents an important test case in the study of the evolution of planetary nebulae with binary central stars as current evolutionary theories predict that the binary plane should be aligned perpendicular to the symmetry axis of the nebula. Longslit observations of the \NII\ emission from Abell~41 were obtained using the Manchester Echelle Spectrometer on the 2.1-m San Pedro Mártir Telescope. These spectra,…
We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula Abell 41, which is known to contain the well-studied close-binary system MT Ser. This object represents an important test case in the study of the evolution of planetary nebulae with binary central stars as current evolutionary theories predict that the binary plane should be aligned perpendicular to the symmetry axis of the nebula. Deep narrowband imaging in the light of [NII], [OIII] and [SII], obtained using ACAM on the William Herschel Telescope, has been used to investigate the ionisation struc…
We present 3D hydrodynamical simulations of a jet launched from the secondary star of a binary system inside a proto-planetary nebula. The secondary star moves around the primary in a close eccentric orbit. From the gasdynamic simulations we compute synthetic [NII] 6583 emission maps. Different jet axis inclinations with respect to the orbital plane, as well as different orientations of the flow with respect to the observer are considered. For some parameter combinations, we obtain structures that show point- or mirror-symmetric morphologies depending on the orientation of the flow with respec…
We present 2D hydrodynamical simulations of the transition of a proto-planetary nebula to a planetary nebula for central stars in binary systems that have undergone a common envelope event. After 1,000 yr of magnetically driven dynamics (proto-planetary nebula phase), a line-driven stellar wind is introduced into the computational domain and the expansion of the nebula is simulated for another 10,000 yr, including the effects of stellar photoionization. In this study we consider central stars with main sequence (final) masses of 1 (0.569) and 2.5 (0.677) \Mo, together with a 0.6 \Mo ma in sequ…
We conduct three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of two opposite jets launched obliquely to the orbital plane around an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star and within its dense wind, and demonstrate the formation of a `messy' planetary nebula (PN), namely, a PN lacking any type of symmetry (highly irregular). In building the initial conditions we assume that a tight binary system orbits the AGB star, and that the orbital plane of the tight binary system is inclined to the orbital plane of the binary system and the AGB star (the triple system plane). We further assume that the accreted ma…
In 1997 Soker laid out a framework for understanding the formation and shaping of planetary nebulae (PN). Starting from the assumption that non-spherical PN cannot be formed by single stars, he linked PN morphologies to the binary mechanisms that may have formed them, basing these connections almost entirely on observational arguments. In light of the last decade of discovery in the field of PN, we revise this framework, which, although simplistic, can still serve as a benchmark against which to test theories of PN origin and shaping. Within the framework, we revisit the role of planets in sha…
We compute successfully the launching of two magnetic winds from two circumbinary disks formed after a common envelope event. The launching is produced by the increase of magnetic pressure due to the collapse of the disks. The collapse is due to internal torques produced by a weak poloidal magnetic field. The first wind can be described as a wide jet, with an average mass-loss rate of $\sim 1.3 \times 10^{-7}$ \Moy\ and a maximum radial velocity of $\sim 230$ \kms. The outflow has a half-opening angle of $\sim 20^{\circ}$. Narrow jets are also formed intermittently with velocities up to 3,000 …
We carried out high-sensitivity spectropolarimetric observations of the central star of the Red Rectangle proto-planetary nebula with the aim of constraining the mechanism that gives its biconical shape. The stellar light of the central binary system is linearly polarised since it is scattered on the dust particles of the nebula. Surprisingly, the linear polarisation in the continuum is aligned with one of the spikes of the biconical outflow. Also, the observed Balmer lines as well as the Ca II K lines are polarised. These observational constraints are used to confirm or reject current theoret…
I argue that the high percentage of PNe that are shaped by jets show that main sequence stars in binary systems can accrete mass at a high rate from an accretion disk and launch jets. Not only this allows jets to shape PNe, but this also points to the importance of jets in other types of binary systems and in other processes. These processes include the grazing envelope evolution (GEE), the common envelope evolution (CEE), and the efficient conversion of kinetic energy to radiation in outflows. As well, the jets point to the possibility that many systems launch jets as they enter the CEE, poss…
We present results of a series of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and hydro- dynamic (HD) 2.5D simulations of the morphology of outflows driven by nested wide-angle winds - i.e. winds which eminate from a central star as well as from an orbiting accretion disk. While our results are broadly relevent to nested wind systems we have tuned the parameters of the simulations to touch on issues in both Young Stellar Objects and Planetary Nebula studies. In particular our studies connect to open issues in the early evolution of Planetary Nebulae. We find that nested MHD winds exhibit marked morphological di…
The role of central star binarity in the shaping of planetary nebulae (PNe) has been the subject of much debate, with single stars believed to be incapable of producing the most highly collimated morphologies. However, observational support for binary-induced shaping has been sadly lacking. Here, we highlight the results of a continuing programme to spatio-kinematically model the morphologies of all PNe known to contain a close binary central star. Spatio-kinematical modelling is imperative for these objects, as it circumvents the degeneracy between morphology and orientation which can adverse…
The morphology of planetary nebulae emerging from the common envelope phase of binary star evolution is investigated. Using initial conditions based on the numerical results of hydrodynamical simulations of the common envelope phase it is found that the shapes and sizes of the resulting nebula are very sensitive to the effective temperature of the remnant core, the mass-loss rate at the onset of the common envelope phase, and the mass ratio of the binary system. These parameters are related to the efficiency of the mass ejection after the spiral-in phase, the stellar evolutionary phase (i.e., …
We develop a physical framework for interpreting high-resolution images of pre planetary nebule ("prePNe") with pairs of candle shaped lobes. We use hydrodynamical models to infer the historical properties of the flows injected from the nucleus that shape the lobes into standard forms. First, we find a suitable set of parameters of a fast, collimated, tapered flow that is actively reshaped by an exterior slow AGB wind and that nicely fits the basic shape, kinematics, mass, and momenta of this class of prePNe. Next we vary the most influential parameters of this "baseline" model-such as density…
The link between the shaping of bipolar planetary nebulae and their central stars is still poorly understood. The kinematics and shaping of the multipolar nebula M 1-75 are hereby investigated, and the location and nature of its central star are briefly discussed. Fabry-Perot data from GHaFAS on the WHT sampling the Doppler shift of the [N II] 658.3 nm line are used to study the dynamics of the nebula, by means of a detailed 3-D spatio-kinematical model. Multi-wavelength images and spectra from the WFC and IDS on the INT, and from ACAM on the WHT, allowed us to constrain the parameters of the …
The morphologies of planetary nebula have long been believed to be due to wind shaping processes in which a fast wind from the central star impacts a previously ejected envelope. Asymmetries assumed to exist in the slow wind envelope lead to inertial confinement shaping the resulting interacting winds flow. We present new results demonstrating the effectiveness of Common Envelope Evolution (CEE) at producing aspherical envelopes which, when impinged upon by a spherical fast stellar wind, produce highly bipolar, jet-like outflows. We have run two simple cases using the output of a single PHANTO…
It is not yet clear whether magnetic fields play an essential role in shaping planetary nebulae (PNe), or whether stellar rotation alone and/or a close binary companion can account for the variety of the observed nebular morphologies. In a quest for empirical evidence verifying or disproving the role of magnetic fields in shaping PNe, we follow up on previous attempts to measure the magnetic field in a representative sample of PN central stars. We obtained low-resolution polarimetric spectra with FORS 2 at VLT for a sample of twelve bright central stars of PNe with different morphology, includ…
During the last years, many observational studies have revealed that binaries play an active role in the shaping of non spherical planetary nebulae. We review the different works that lead to the direct or indirect evidence for the presence of binary companions during the Asymptotic Giant Branch, proto-Planetary Nebula and Planetary Nebula phases. We also discuss how these binaries can influence the stellar evolution and possible future directions in the field.
We conduct three dimensional hydrodynamical numerical simulations of planetary nebula (PN) shaping and show that jets that precede the ejection of the main PN shell can form the morphological feature of ears. Ears are two opposite protrusions from the main nebula that are smaller than the main nebula and with a cross section that decreases monotonically from the base of an ear at the shell to its far end. Only a very small fraction of PNe has ears. The short-lived jets, about a year in the present simulations, interact with the regular asymptotic giant branch (AGB) wind to form the ears, while…
Using 3D numerical hydrodynamical simulations we show that jets launched prior to type Ia supernova (SN Ia) explosion in the core-degenerate scenario can account for the appearance of two opposite lobes ('Ears') along the symmetry axis of the SN remnant (SNR). In the double-degenerate and core-degenerate scenarios the merger of the two degenerate compact objects is very likely to lead to the formation of an accretion disk, that might launch two opposite jets. In the CD scenario these jets interact with the envelope ejected during the preceding common envelope phase. If explosion occurs shortly…
Planetary nebulae (PNe) are circumstellar gas ejected during an intense mass-losing phase in the the lives of asymptotic giant branch stars. PNe have a stunning variety of shapes, most of which are not spherically symmetric. The debate over what makes and shapes the circumstellar gas of these evolved, intermediate mass stars has raged for two decades. Today the community is reaching a consensus that single stars cannot trivially manufacture PNe and impart to them non spherical shapes and that a binary companion, possibly even a sub-stellar one, might be needed in a majority of cases. This theo…
Context. The mechanisms that form extreme bipolar planetary nebulae remain unclear. Aims. The physical properties, structure, and dynamics of the bipolar planetary nebula, MyCn 18, are investigated in detail with the aim of understanding the shaping mechanism and evolutionary history of this object. Methods. VLT infrared images, VLT ISAAC infrared spectra, and long-slit optical Echelle spectra are used to investigate MyCn 18. Morpho-kinematic modelling was used to firmly constrain the structure and kinematics of the source. A timescale analysis was used to determine the kinematical age of the …
The increase in discovered close binary central stars of planetary nebulae is leading to a sufficiently large sample to begin to make broader conclusions about the effect of close binary stars on common envelope evolution and planetary nebula formation. Herein I review some of the recent results and conclusions specifically relating close binary central stars to nebular shaping, common envelope evolution off the red giant branch, and the total binary fraction and double degenerate fraction of central stars. Finally, I use parameters of known binary central stars to explore the relationship bet…
We present the first detailed spatio-kinematical analysis and modelling of the planetary nebula Abell 65, which is known to host a post-common envelope, binary, central star system. As such, this object is of great interest in studying the link between nebular morphology and central star binarity. [OIII]5007A and H-alpha+[NII]6584A longslit spectra and imagery of Abell 65 were obtained with the Manchester Echelle Spectrometer on the 2.1-m telescope at the San Pedro Martir Observatory (MES-SPM). Further [OIII]5007A longslit spectra were obtained with the Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrogr…
Magnetic fields of order $10^1-10^2$ gauss that are present in the envelopes of red giant stars are ejected in common envelope scenarios. These fields could be responsible for the launching of magnetically driven winds in proto-planetary nebulae. Using 2D simulations of magnetized winds interacting with an envelope drawn from a 3D simulation of the common envelope phase, we study the confinement, heating, and magnetic field development of post-common envelope winds. We find that the ejected magnetic field can be enhanced via compression by factors up to $\sim 10^4$ in circumbinary disks during…
In order to understand the formation of the multipolar structures of the pre-planetary nebula (PPN) CRL 618, we perform 3D simulations using a multi-directional bullet model. The optical lobes of CRL 618 and fast molecular outflows at the tips of the lobes have been found to have similar expansion ages of ~ 100 yr. Additional fast molecular outflows were found near the source along the outflow axes with ages of ~ 45 yr, suggesting a second episode of bullet ejections. Thus, in our simulations, two episodes of bullet ejections are assumed. The shaping process is simulated using the ZEUS-3D hydr…
We present a detailed hydrodynamic model that matches the present structure of the well-observed preplanetary nebula OH231.8+04.2. The purpose of the model is to present a physically justified and coherent picture of its evolutionary history from about 100 years of the start of the formation of its complex outer structures to the present. We have adopted a set of initial conditions that are heavily constrained by high-quality observations of its present structure and kinematics. The shaping of the nebula occurs while the densities of the flows are "light": less than the surrounding AGB-wind en…
The influences and consequences of toroidal magnetic fields in shaping the visible lobes of pre planetary nebulae ("prePNe") are explored in this, the last of a series of papers of parameter studies of prePN evolution. To probe these influences we start with the steady, diverging, and field-free wind model of our previous papers and add weak to moderate toroidal fields to the winds in order to generate arrays of outcomes after 500 y, after which the structures grow almost homologously. As expected, toroidal fields in the stellar winds invariably form very thin and dense axial features whose st…
The link between the shaping of bipolar planetary nebulae and the mass ejection activity of their central stars is still poorly understood. Appropriately characterizing the evolution of the shells ejected during the late stages of evolution is vital to gain insight into the mechanism of nebular shaping. Herschel/HIFI provides an invaluable tool by opening a new window from which to probe warm molecular gas (~50-1000 K). We present a radiative-transfer, spatio-kinematic modeling of the molecular envelope of the young planetary nebula NGC 7027 in high- and low-J 12CO and 13CO transitions observe…
Close binary interactions perform a key role in the formation and shaping of planetary nebulae. However only a small fraction of Galactic planetary nebulae are known to host close binary systems. Many such systems are detectable through photometric variability. We searched recently published epoch photometry data from Gaia DR3 for planetary nebula central stars with periodic photometric variability indicative of binarity, uncovering four previously unknown close binaries.
Close binarity can play a significant role in the shaping of planetary nebulae (PNe) as the system evolves through the common-envelope phase. We present the detection of two of the shortest orbital periods among PN binary central stars. These are Hen 2-428, a bipolar PN, and V458 Vul, a recent nova surrounded by a mildly bipolar planetary nebula. The properties of the central stars of these systems, of their nebulae and their possible fate are discussed.
Post-AGB stars are key objects for the study of the dramatic morphological changes of low- to intermediate-mass stars on their evolution from the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) towards the Planetary Nebula stage. There is growing evidences that binary interaction processes may very well have a determining role in the shaping process of many objects, but so far direct evidence is still weak. We aim at a systematic study of the dust distribution around a large sample of Post-AGB stars as a probe of the symmetry breaking in the nebulae around these systems. We used imaging in the mid-infrared to s…
AGB stars appear to lose mass spherically, but many PNe resulting from the AGB mass-loss have non-spherical morphologies. Compact disks have been found in some bipolar PNe, but their role in the shaping process remains unknown. Compact Keplarian disks are found to be common around post-AGB binaries, however, these objects may never develop into PNe. Another group of post-AGB stars, known as pre-PNe, are surrounded by collimated nebulae shining by reflected light or shock ionisation. We are observing the inner circumstellar regions of pre-PNe at high angular resolutions with the VLTI. We seek t…
Born-again planetary nebulae (PNe) are extremely rare cases in the evolution of solar-like stars. It is commonly accepted that their central stars (CSPN) experienced a very late thermal pulse (VLTP), ejecting H-deficient material inside the evolved H-rich PN. Given the short duration of this event and the fast subsequent evolution of the CSPN, details of the mass ejection are unknown. We present the first morpho-kinematic model of the H-deficient material surrounding a born-again PN, namely A30. New San Pedro Mártir observations with the Manchester Echelle Spectrograph were recently obtained t…
Either by collimating a fast stellar wind or by driving a jet via accretion in the central system, dusty torii or stable disks may be crucial ingredients for the shaping of PNe. We study the dust distribution in the very young Proto-Planetary Nebule (PPN) IRAS16342-3814, also known as the Water Fountain Nebula, which is known to show strong bipolar characteristics in the shape of two reflection lobes, and high-velocity collimated molecular outlfows. We use the new Mid-IR (MIR) instrument VISIR on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) both in imaging and spectroscopy mode at wavelengths from 8 to 13 m…
NGC 2392 is a young double-shell planetary nebula (PN). Its intrinsic structure and shaping mechanism are still not fully understood. In this paper we present new spectroscopic observations of NGC 2392. The slits were placed at two different locations to obtain the spectra of the inner and outer regions. Several [Fe III] lines are clearly detected in the inner region. We infer that NGC 2392 might have an intrinsic structure similar to the bipolar nebula Mz 3, which also exhibits a number of [Fe III}] lines arising from the central regions. In this scenario, the inner and outer regions of NGC 2…
Considerable effort has been applied towards understanding the precise shaping mechanisms responsible for the diverse range of morphologies exhibited by planetary nebulae (PNe). A binary companion is increasingly gaining support as a dominant shaping mechanism, however morphological studies of the few PNe that we know for certain were shaped by binary evolution are scarce or biased. Newly discovered binary central stars (CSPN) from the OGLE-III photometric variability survey have significantly increased the sample of post common-envelope (CE) nebulae available for morphological analysis. We pr…
Observational evidence for strong magnetic fields throughout the envelopes of evolved stars is increasing. Many of the instruments coming on line in the near-future will be able to make further contributions to this field. Specifically, maser polarization observations and dust/line polarization in the sub-mm regime has the potential to finally provide a definite picture of the magnetic field strength and configuration from the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) all the way to the Planetary Nebula phase. While current observations are limited in sample size, strong magnetic fields appear ubiquitous …
Adaptive optics observations in the infrared (VLT/NACO, Kervella et al. 2014) and visible (VLT/SPHERE, Kervella et al. 2015) domains revealed that the nearby AGB star L2 Pup (d=64 pc) is surrounded by a dust disk seen almost edge-on. Thermal emission from a large dust "loop" is detected at 4 microns up to more than 10 AU from the star. We also detect a secondary source at a separation of 32 mas, whose nature is uncertain. L2 Pup is currently a relatively "young" AGB star, so we may witness the formation of a planetary nebula. The mechanism that breaks the spherical symmetry of mass loss is cur…
The presence of magnetic fields is an attractive hypothesis for shaping PNe. We report on observations of the central star of the two Planetary Nebulae NGC1360 and LSS1326. We performed spectroscopy on circularly polarized light with the FOcal Reducer and low dispersion Spectrograph at the Very Large Telescope of the European Southern Observatory. Contrary to previous reports (Jordan et al. 2005, A&A, 432, 273), we find that the effective magnetic field, that is the average over the visible stellar disk of longitudinal components of the magnetic fields, is null within errors for both stars. We…
The shaping of the nebula is currently one of the outstanding unsolved problems in planetary nebula (PN) research. Several mechanisms have been proposed, most of which require a binary companion. However, direct evidence for a binary companion is lacking in most PNs. We have addressed this problem by obtaining precise radial velocities of seven bright proto-planetary nebulae (PPNs), objects in transition from the asymptotic giant branch to the PN phases of stellar evolution. These have F-G spectral types and have the advantage over PNs of having more and sharper spectral lines, leading to bett…
Despite years of effort, the impact of central star binarity on planetary nebula formation and shaping remains unclear. This is hampered by the fact that detecting central star binarity is inherently difficult, and requires very precise observations. The fraction of planetary nebulae with binary central stars therefore remains elusive. This work presents initial results of central star analysis using data from the VST H$α$ Survey of the Southern Galactic Plane and Bulge (VPHAS+). The true central star of PN Hf 38 has been revealed, and it exhibits a 0.465$\pm$0.334 $i$ band magnitude excess, i…
We present recent studies using the near-infrared instrument AMBER of the VLT Interferometer (VLTI) to investigate the structure and shaping processes within the extended atmosphere of AGB stars. Spectrally resolved near-infrared AMBER observations of the Mira variable S Ori have revealed wavelength-dependent apparent angular sizes. These data were successfully compared to dynamic model atmospheres, which predict wavelength-dependent radii because of geometrically extended molecular layers. Most recently, AMBER closure phase measurements of several AGB stars have also revealed wavelength-depen…
We present X-ray spectral analysis of 20 point-like X-ray sources detected in Chandra Planetary Nebula Survey (ChanPlaNS) observations of 59 planetary nebulae (PNe) in the solar neighborhood. Most of these 20 detections are associated with luminous central stars within relatively young, compact nebulae. The vast majority of these point-like X-ray-emitting sources at PN cores display relatively "hard" ($\geq0.5$~keV) X-ray emission components that are unlikely to be due to photospheric emission from the hot central stars (CSPN). Instead, we demonstrate that these sources are well modeled by opt…
A significant fraction of massive stars move at speed through the interstellar medium of galaxies. After their death as core collapse supernovae, a possible final evolutionary state is that of a fast rotating magnetised neutron star, shaping its circumstellar medium into a pulsar wind nebula. Understanding the properties of pulsar wind nebulae requires knowledge of the evolutionary history of their massive progenitors. Using 2.5D magnetohydrodynamical simulations, we demonstrate that, in the context of a runaway high mass red supergiant supernova progenitor, the morphology of its subsequent pu…
Planetary Nebulae (PNe) are amongst the most spectacular objects produced by stellar evolution, but the exact identity of their progenitors has never been established for a large and homogeneous observational sample. We investigate the relationship between PNe and their stellar progenitors in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) through the statistical comparison between a highly complete spectroscopic catalog of PNe and the spatially resolved age distribution of the underlying stellar populations. We find that most PN progenitors in the LMC have main-sequence lifetimes in a narrow range between 5…
The iconic planetary nebula (PN) NGC 7027 is bright, nearby (D ~ 1 kpc), highly ionized, intricately structured, and well observed. This nebula is hence an ideal case study for understanding PN shaping and evolution processes. Accordingly, we have conducted a comprehensive imaging survey of NGC 7027 comprised of twelve HST Wide Field Camera 3 images in narrow-band and continuum filters spanning the wavelength range 0.243--1.67 microns. The resulting panchromatic image suite reveals the spatial distributions of emission lines covering low-ionization species such as singly ionized Fe, N, and Si,…
The shaping of various morphological features of planetary nebulae (PNe) is increasingly linked to the role of binary central stars. Identifying a binary within a PN offers a powerful tool with which to directly investigate the formation mechanisms behind these features. The Etched Hourglass Nebula, MyCn 18, is the archetype for several binary-linked morphological features, yet it has no identified binary nucleus. It has the fastest jets seen in a PN of 630 km s$^{-1}$, a central star position offset from the nebula centre, and a bipolar nebula with a very narrow waist. Here we report on the S…
Binarity has been hypothesised to play an important, if not ubiquitous, role in the formation of planetary nebulae (PNe). Yet there remains a severe paucity of known binary central stars required to test the binary hypothesis and to place strong constraints on the physics of the common-envelope (CE) phase of binary stellar evolution. Large photometric surveys offer an unrivalled opportunity to efficiently discover many binary central stars. We have combined photometry from the OGLE microlensing survey with the largest sample of PNe towards the Galactic Bulge to systematically search for new bi…
We present GADRAD, a Python module that adopts heuristic search techniques in the form of genetic algorithms, to efficiently model post-asymptotic giant branch (post- AGB) disc environments. GADRAD systematically constructs the multi-dimensional pa- parameter probability density functions that arise from the fitting of radiative transfer and geometric models to optical interferometric data products. The result provides unbiased descriptions of the object's potential morphology, component luminosities and temperatures, dust composition, disc density profiles and mass. Correlation in the estimat…
Planetary nebulae are traditionally considered to represent the final evolutionary stage of all intermediate-mass stars ($\sim$0.7-8Msol). Recent evidence seems to contradict this picture. In particular, since the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope it has become clear that planetary nebulae display a wide range of striking morphologies which cannot be understood in a single star scenario, instead pointing towards a binary evolution in a majority of systems. Here, we summarise our current understanding of the importance of binarity in the formation and shaping of planetary nebulae, as well as…
The beginning of photoionization marks the transition between the post-Asymptotic Giant Branch (post-AGB) and planetary nebula (PN) phases of stars with masses < 8 M_sun. This critical phase is difficult to observe, as it lasts only a few decades. The combination of jets and magnetic fields, the key agents of PNe shaping, could give rise to synchrotron emission, but this has never been observed before in any PNe, since free-free emission from the ionized gas is expected to dominate its radio spectrum. In this paper we report radio continuum observations taken with the Australia Telescope Compa…
